Dear Editor: Did TTFA breach own safeguarding rules with U-15 Boys troubling travel ordeal?

“[…] Safeguarding in youth sports does not simply mean preventing abuse; it encompasses a proactive commitment to avoid all unnecessary physical or emotional risks for children.

“[…] By dividing travel into separate groups, often hours apart and involving exhausting overnight layovers, the TTFA created circumstances where proper adult supervision became severely compromised.

“Fragmented travel increases the chances that a child is separated, lost, or left unsupported at a critical moment. Last-minute ticketing and chaotic planning increased stress and uncertainty for players and their guardians, who received little timely information…”

The following Letter to the Editor, which looks at whether the Trinidad and Tobago Football Association (TTFA) violated its own safeguarding rules by its handling of travel for the Boys National Under-15 Team, was submitted to Wired868 by Mr Observation:

While the results of the past couple of days have the potential for most to forget the significant disorganisation and safeguarding failures that marred the Trinidad and Tobago National U-15 boys’ travel experience, it is crucial that these issues are not overlooked.

Addressing them is essential to protecting the well-being and future success of young athletes under the TTFA’s care.

The Trinidad and Tobago Football Association’s (TTFA) recent handling of the National Under-15 Boys’ football team’s trip to a tournament in Aruba has set off alarm bells for parents, supporters, and child welfare advocates across the country.

Close examination of the travel experience reveals not just poor planning, but, more importantly, fundamental lapses in safeguarding—the responsibility to ensure young athletes are safe from harm and unnecessary and avoidable risks.

According to first-hand reports echoed by Wired868, the team’s original travel plans underwent last-minute upheaval: the departure date was pushed back by two days and flight information was not available until the day of travel.

When flights were finally confirmed, the squad’s travel was split into multiple groups. Some players left as early as 4pm on Sunday, while others did not depart until late in the evening.

Their journeys included multiple stops and long layovers, resulting in nearly ten hours of travel time. The staggered itineraries meant players reached Aruba (if not Colombia) at different times throughout Monday.

Such confusion would be stressful for any group, but when it involves minors—entrusted to the care of national sporting authorities—the implications go well beyond inconvenience. This is a failure of safeguarding, contravening both national norms and international best practices for youth sport.

Safeguarding in youth sports does not simply mean preventing abuse; it encompasses a proactive commitment to avoid all unnecessary physical or emotional risks for children.

In the TTFA’s case, several key breaches stand out. By dividing travel into separate groups, often hours apart and involving exhausting overnight layovers, the TTFA created circumstances where proper adult supervision became severely compromised.

Fragmented travel increases the chances that a child is separated, lost, or left unsupported at a critical moment. Last-minute ticketing and chaotic planning increased stress and uncertainty for players and their guardians, who received little timely information.

Safeguarding best practices require transparent and advanced communication, especially whenever plans change. Long, convoluted travel is difficult for adults; it is an even greater risk for growing adolescents.

Extended layovers and overnight flights affect not only athletic performance but also the physical and emotional health of minors. In addition, a split group renders any emergency response—whether for illness, behavioural crisis, or logistical mishap—far less effective.

The best practice is to keep teams together and well-supervised to ensure coordinated support if problems arise.

Perhaps the most worrying incident was when one player, due to ticketing errors, was left behind at the “home of football”. Was he left there unsupervised?

That would be a critical violation of safeguarding principles: no youth in the care of a national association should ever be without direct adult supervision. Protocols demand constant supervision and immediate, transparent communication with parents.

Leaving a child alone in that way would expose them to potential harm and bring significant legal and ethical liability for the organisation.

Good safeguarding would have required all travel to be planned and communicated in advance. The team should travel together, or at the very least, with adequate, trained supervision for each subgroup. There should be immediate notification and support for any player facing travel issues, including adult accompaniment and prompt communication with guardians.

Furthermore, rigorous documentation of incidents and a commitment to reviewing and improving safeguarding policies and procedures are necessary components of responsible management.

This episode should serve as a wake-up call for the TTFA and all those responsible for the welfare of young athletes. Safeguarding is not a formality or secondary concern: it is a fundamental duty of care and the foundation of parental trust in youth sport.

The U-15 Boys deserve better, and the association must act urgently to prevent any repeat of these failures.

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